Four Starbucks Beauties

I took this snapshot of four beautiful women in different kinds of traditional Japanese patterned kimono, enjoying a break while chatting and drinking Starbucks coffee. I really think Starbucks could use an image like this for their advertising in Japan, don’t you? I love the smile on her face! Taken with my lovely 135mm DC Nikon lens at the Nihonbashi festival in October.

You just reminded me to leave some feedback for Starbucks! I love this photo they should buy it from you! Man I’d like to do a project on people drinking Starbucks too bad I don’t live in a big city. I guess I could just haunt my local Starbucks. But my camera might stand out…

Thanks Dararmer! Don’t fret over the photos you can not take, take the ones you can! I would love to live in your area. I’d be out in the desert with my camera everyday I think. I have no idea how you guys find the energy to go to work with all that beauty around you! Oh, and one thing I have learned from Japanese photographers is to keep a mental list of what you want to work on in the future, and shoot it every chance you get. After a couple of decades you’ll have enough photos of people in yellow Stetson hats with goatees to have your own people in yellow Stetson hats with goatees exhibition! Just keep at it! I shoot all the pictures I can of fathers and their children for example. A couple of photos a week and in a couple of years I’ll have enough to make a book maybe! (^-^) Nihonbashi is an area of Tokyo named after the bridge that marks Point Zero of the Japanese road and distance network. In Japan all roads lead to Nihonbashi, it is said. The bridge itself is about 10-15 yards behind the girl to the left.

I notice they all have red bibs hanging under the obi. Though not an expert on these things (that would be Mrs Coal), my guess is that they’re wearing some kind of staff outfit. The hairpieces also seem to be from a different era, so probably some kind of period novelty stand perhaps? Lovely shot anyhow—don’t think Starbucks would run with this unfortunately, as they’re aiming at a more westernised demograph. Ever notice how they say “konnichiwa” rather than “irasshaimase” when you enter? Same thing. Starbucks in the US on the other hand…

They are all taking a break from the festival in an area behind the food stalls! I hadn’t noticed the greeting, but I only go there a couple of times a year (I can’t drink coffee after 1800 or I can’t sleep properly at night).

My father was stationed in Japan (Korean Conflict). He always said he never met a Japanese woman who wasn’t beautiful. He was in Japan when I was born, actually, and apparently baby me was slow to warm up to the strange man who suddenly showed up one day!

For some reason, these lovely ladies (and that radiant smile) made me think of him. He would have enjoyed this photo, too. (He would have been 80 on December 10.)

Your father must have been a very happy man! Wish he was around to see what it’s like over here today. I sometimes envy those who could enjoy the world’s far away places before globalization and TV hit us and so many things became more or less the same all over the place. At least the beautiful Japanese people are still here.

He should have been able to relax more. He was driven to do his best at whatever he turned his hand to. I think if he had lived to be a grandfather it would have mellowed him. Neither my mother or father had whole, happy families as children, but they worked hard to make sure that the family they made together would be different.

I think he would have returned to Japan with my mother at some point, after he had retired…but didn’t have the chance.